


Healing Home

by Shadowed_Aura



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Babies, Baby!Anael, Baker!Gabriel, Charlie Bradbury - Freeform, Daycare-Owner!Charlie, Destiel - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Jo Harvelle - Freeform, Kisses and Cuddles, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester, Past Lisa Braeden/Dean Winchester, Pre-Slash, Professor!Castiel, bisexual!dean, daddy!dean, daddy!destiel, lawyer!Sam, mechanic!Dean, minor language, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-03-08 23:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3228122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowed_Aura/pseuds/Shadowed_Aura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean had lost a lot in life, but he knew, deep down, that shouldn't keep him from trying to be happy again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Catalyst

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, which means any of its characters, themes, locations, or lore. I just have a bit of fun.

No. No, no, no, no, no! This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. They had been heading home. They were going to be happy. They were a family. What had he done wrong? What had he not seen? His fault, his fault, his fault. She was dead. Gone. Not coming back. Never coming back. She was dead. He was alone.

“Sir? Is there someone I can call for you?”

Dean slowly raised his head from his hands to stare blankly at the nurse standing in front of him. He blinked sluggishly and tried to gather his thoughts, breathing deeply. “No… No, it’s fine.”

“Are you sure? It isn’t any trouble.” She paused uncertainly, fiddling with the stethoscope around her neck, before adding, “And I don’t think it would be wise for you to drive right now.”

He wanted this women to leave, to just go away and let him fall apart, but it looked like she wasn’t planning to go anywhere until she got some semblance of an actual answer from him. “Yeah. It’s fine. I’ll call Sam. He’ll come get us. I won’t drive.”

“Sam?”

“My brother.”

“Okay. Let us know if you need something, and again, I am so sorry for your loss.”

She walked away.

It took everything Dean had to keep from snorting aloud. 'Sorry for your loss.' Right. Just how many times had she repeated that in a day? The words were worthless, and they didn’t make anything better. They didn’t change anything, as much as Dean wished they could. He buried his head in his hands again as he felt tears well up. _No. Not here. Don’t break here. Push it back._

A soft sound to his left, a much needed distraction, caused Dean to turn his head. Anael blinked up at him with bright green eyes from her carrier. Oh God… What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t raise a baby on his own. He and Lisa were supposed to do that together. Ana wasn’t even three months old yet. They were supposed to raise her and watch her grow together. He was on his own now. Alone.

Dean’s thoughts continued in a downward spiral, circling the same thoughts over and over again. He couldn’t make sense out of them.

Ana’s quiet sneeze brought him back to the present. Reaching over, Dean ran his fingers through the wispy auburn hair she had been born with. Right. He wasn’t completely alone. He had his daughter. He had to be strong for his little girl. He _would_ be strong for his little girl. Wiping his eyes of any possible rogue tears, Dean pulled out his cell phone.

Sam came twenty minutes later, and to Dean’s everlasting gratitude, his brother simply nodded to him in solemn understanding and took them away from the too clean and too white hospital.

****

****Seven Months Later** **

“Come on, Dean! We’ve gotta go!”

“Yeah, yeah! Hold your horses, Sammy! I’ve got a baby to bring too, ya know! It ain’t just me!”

Dean ignored Sam’s quipped reply in favor of trying to succeed in getting his squirming daughter into her little overalls. In all honesty, Anael seemed to be winning this round. Rolling his eyes and deciding that she didn’t need both straps fastened anyway, Dean grabbed the baby, diaper bag, and one of his textbooks before rushing out the door and to the car where his brother was waiting with a slightly impatient look on his face.

“Took you long enough,” Sam teased good-naturedly as Dean buckled Ana into her lady-bug themed car seat in the back of the Impala.

“You try gettin' this little worm into overalls in a hurry, then we’ll talk.” He slid behind the wheel. “‘Sides, it’s not like we’ve got an appointment to get to. We’re just goin' to see your wife and that new coffee shop and bakery she opened across town, so don’t get mad when I happen to-"

Sam cut him off, holding up his hands pleadingly. “Okay, okay. I get it. Let’s just get there. I told Jess I’d be there by four so I could help her close up, and it’s already half past three.”

Dean chuckled at his brother as he put the car into gear and pulled out of the quaint neighborhood and onto the highway. Sam had hated being even a few seconds late for anything his entire life. To him, if you were on time, you were late. Honestly, it was probably a good quality for his lawyer of a brother to have. Dean though, he realized that time did occasionally need to be slowed down. Hopefully, his little brother learned that before he was thirty, but Dean doubted it since Jess was much like Sam himself, and Sam only had a couple years before his thirtieth anyway. Dean had been kind of like that when he was younger, but instead of needing to always be on time, Dean had been rushing through life in general. Lisa had been the one to help him slow down and smell the roses, so to speak.

Shying away from thinking about his late wife, Dean was glad when he found himself pulling into the small parking lot outside of Jess’ shop. He remembered her naming it Heavenly Sweets or something corny like that. Getting out, Dean swung around to the back and detached Ana’s car seat before locking up the car and following Sam inside, who promptly went behind the counter to find his wife.

Jess really had done a good job renovating the place. Originally, it had been a diner, probably in the late fifties, but Jess had painted the walls sunshine yellow, put in black tile, and hired Bobby, a family friend, to redo the woodwork and create her chairs, tables, and counter space. The old man had done a stand-up job, as usual, and the bakery had a homey feel that many places weren’t able to keep anymore, and Dean liked it there immediately. Apparently, Ana did as well. She smiled happily and pointed towards the assortments of cupcakes, pie, and breads behind the counter and in the display cases.

Dean smiled down at her as he set his book and then her car seat on the nearest table before lifting her from the seat. “Look at that, Ana! Do you see all the pretty cupcakes Aunt Jess made? And do you see the pies? Maybe we can share a bit of one, huh?”

“Da!” was the little girl’s reply. She beamed at her father, and Dean grinned back. Anael hadn’t started talking yet, but her doctor had assured him that it was normal and okay. He’d learned that some kids didn’t talk until they were two, so he wasn’t worried by his daughter only caring for the one syllable in her vocabulary. It was his name, after all.

Dean was still showing Anael anything that caught her eye when her gaze, bright emerald and identical to her father’s, fixed on the only patron in the shop. Judging by the papers he seemed to be marking up with a red pen, Dean guessed the man was a professor at the college campus nearby. He looked a bit stressed as his pen moved furiously over one paper before moving on; his suit was obviously rumpled from a long day and his hair was an utter mess. Bedhead, if Dean had to put it into words, but attractive at first glance for certain. He didn’t realize he was staring until Anael chose that moment to loudly proclaim, “Da,” while pointing directly at the man in the corner booth with one hand and patting Dean’s face with the other. Dean felt his cheeks color slightly as Ana continued to make a fuss, causing the man to look up at the pair. Dean was struck by the color of the guy’s eyes. They were the brightest and most intense blue he had ever seen and seemed to see straight into him.

Nearly to Dean’s relief, the man's gaze shifted from him to Ana, who was still causing a small ruckus, before he smiled warmly and waved at the little girl who waved back exuberantly. Taking that as some form of invitation, that and he was a little bored waiting for Sam, Dean crossed the shop and stood in front of the man, holding out his free hand. “Hey there. I’m Dean.”

The man looked at Dean’s hand before meeting his eyes. Dean almost choked on air. If he thought he was attractive before, well, this was something else entirely. God, what was wrong with him? He hadn’t even looked at anyone since…

Right, no. Dean shook his head a little to clear it and Ana pulled his ear. “And you are?”

The blue-eyed angel tilted his head to the side, studying Dean. He was quiet for so long that Dean began to wonder if he was going to answer at all. He opened his mouth to ask again when the guy put his pen down and finally spoke up. “Castiel. My name is Castiel.”

Anael instantly made a questioning noise, making both men smile a little at her before turning to one another again.

“Nice to meet you, Castiel. Interesting name. Religious family, Angel?”

Castiel raised an eyebrow at the rather forward nickname. “Yes, in fact. Most people do not know the origin of my name. It is refreshing to see someone who does. Please, sit.” He gestured towards the chair in front of him.

Dean sat down, wondering if this Castiel was always so formal, and settled Ana on his lap as he tickled the little girl, causing the baby to giggle. “Well, this is Anael, or Ana as most call her, so I know a thing or two about angel names.”

“I see. Are you a religious man then?”

Dean paused for a moment. He hadn’t explained why Ana was named as she was since before Lisa had passed. He usually just introduced his daughter as Ana and not by her full name. There was no real reason for it. Her name simply meant “joy,” but it was still something left from his wife.

Seeing Dean’s hesitation, Castiel backtracked a little. “I am sorry. You need not tell me anything if you do not wish to.”

Brought back to the present, Dean shook his head again, running one hand through his dirty blonde hair. “Nah, it’s okay. Anael was the name that my…late wife chose. She wanted something unique that was still beautiful. We liked it, and when she was born, it seemed to suit her.” Dean looked down at his daughter and bounced her lightly on his knee.

“I see. And it does. Suit her, I mean. She seems very happy.”

Dean was thankful that he tactfully passed over the mention of Lisa. He was so tired of people apologizing for her death. It had been terrible, and it still bothered Dean, but he was okay and neither wanted nor needed people’s pity. It had been bad the first couple of months, but Sam and Jess had helped out. After that, he’d pulled himself together for the sake of his daughter, who was currently happily chewing on her loose overall strap.

“I certainly hope so. I do the best I can for her.”

“Oh please, Dean. You deserve the ‘Father of the Year’ award for how well Ana is taken care of.” Sam stepped back out from the kitchen area, his arms full of cleaning supplies, which he proceeded to dump on the counter-top without care.

“Ah, be quiet, Sammy.”

His brother looked up at him from where he had started scrubbing something that had dried on the back-splash of the counter. “I’m serious, Dean. I’m proud of you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Not in front of the customers.”

Castiel interrupted then. “I am not quite a customer. My brother, Gabriel, works as one of the bakers here. He was very excited to get the job so soon out of culinary school.”

“Wait. Your brother is that prank pulling flirt?” Sam nearly jumped over the counter in his rush to get his sentence out. As it was, he stayed rooted in his spot, scrubbing the tiles, and trying not to get his button-up wet.

Blinking, Castiel nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose that is a good way to describe him. He is much more…flamboyant than I.” He ventured a quick glance at Dean before giving his attention back to Sam. “I have been told his baking makes up for it though, yes?”

Dean stopped listening as Sam launched into some of the stories Jess had brought home about her mischievous employee. He’d clocked out when he had near confirmation that Castiel might be available and potentially interested. Dean picked Ana up from his lap and turned her so she could sit on the table in front of him. He stared at his daughter as he thought.

It’d been a very long time since he’d dated, years actually, but he was no stranger to picking up and understanding signals from people. And finding someone he actually liked, and seemed to connect with relatively well, who already knew he had a kid, and didn’t seem deterred, was honestly just a bonus. Dean glanced around Anael to look at Castiel for a moment. He found piercing blue eyes, dark messy hair, and the hint of a five o’clock shadow on the man’s face. Yeah, okay, it didn’t hurt that the guy was downright gorgeous either.

“Uh, Dean?” Sam’s voice broke through his reverie. What? Oh. He was staring at Castiel. Then again, Castiel was staring right back. When had that happened?

He straightened up, clearing his throat, and stopped gawking at the man sitting across from him. “Yeah? What’s up?”

Sam’s eyebrows rose so far, Dean thought they might fly off his forehead. “Just thought I’d let you know Jess and I are taking her car back home, so you can leave when you like, and we can meet up for dinner later tonight.”

Dean chanced a glance back at Castiel. He was still staring at Dean’s profile.

“When do you close up?”

“Soon,” Sam deadpanned.

All right, so that particular bitch face meant get-the-hell-out-soon-or-I-shall-not-be-a-happy-brother-flirt-on-your-own-time-geez.

“Right then, I guess that means I’ll just get a move on. Maybe run some errands.” He trailed off as he gathered up a sleepy looking Anael and got to his feet. Trudging back over to the table he had deposited Ana’s car seat, he strapped her in and turned back towards Castiel. He nearly jumped when he realized the man was literally standing a foot away from him. _Wow. Personal space much?_

Anael reached out to him, and Castiel smiled as he let the little girl tug onto his finger as she slipped into sleep. Castiel looked back towards Dean, still not backing away, and held out something. “May I leave you my number? I would like to have coffee with you sometime.” He gestured towards Anael. “She is welcome to come as well if you’d like. I do not mind.”

Oh dear God, this was perfect. There had to be a catch somewhere, but if there was, Dean couldn’t find it. So instead, he grinned widely and took the business card that Castiel held. “Sure thing, Cas! I’d like that.” He dug into his own wallet for a minute before pulling out his own business card. “And here. Take this just in case I accidentally lose yours, or Ana manages to tear it up.”

Castiel tilted his head slightly at this second nickname, but he smiled softly before nodding, extracting his hand back from Anael’s grip, and taking the card from Dean and reading over it. “A mechanic, I see.”

Dean laughed and moved to the other side of Ana’s carrier. “Yeah. I inherited the shop from my dad, but I worked in it myself for a little over fifteen years before I started running it. I still try and work on the cars when I can.” He picked up the textbook he hadn’t so much as looked at since coming in the bakery. “And I’ve been slowly putting myself through school to get a business degree. I’ve got about a year or so left of that. It’ll be easier when Ana is a little older, but for now, the situation works.”

Cas’ eyes had widened a little when Dean told him about his plans. “That is truly impressive, Dean. Not a lot of adults go back to school after their twenties are over. Not only that, but you run a business and are raising a child. Even just thinking about all the work makes me tired.”

“Well, you looked pretty frazzled scratching away on those papers over there, so I’m willing to bet you’re busy too.”

Castiel grimaced at the mention of the pile of papers waiting for him on the back table. “Yes, about that. I teach Religious Studies, and it usually isn’t like that as I keep a mostly lecture-based class, but I tried assigning a new essay topic and from what I’m reading, I’m not sure I explained what was supposed to be done well enough. I’ll be trying again with another group.”

Clapping Cas on the shoulder, Dean grinned. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. Why don’t you finish grading and then call me to explain it? I’m happy to listen, even if it is in the middle of feeding Ana. We can also set up that date.”

“Yes, Dean. I think that would be agreeable.”

Dean rolled his eyes at the formality of Castiel’s words. Maybe he’d loosen up after actually sitting down and talking with a purpose. Maybe. As it was, he tucked his textbook under his arm, hooked his car keys on his thumb, and picked up Anael’s carrier. He was halfway out the door when he turned back to see Cas staring after him. Dean winked and smirked at the subsequent blush on Castiel’s cheeks. “I’ll be seeing you, Angel,” he said and let the glass door shut soundly behind him and Anael.

Outside, and once Ana was safely tucked back in the car, Dean started realizing exactly what had just happened. He technically had a date. It was good, this he knew, but it felt so strange. He pushed away the little voice in the back of his head that said he was betraying Lisa. He knew he wasn’t. She had told him to find someone else to help raise their daughter. She’d reminded him over and over that she loved him and Anael, but once she was gone, loving someone else wasn’t wrong. She had said to look after Anael and to be happy. That was all she wanted for the two of them.

Dean felt a small smile creep onto his face as he looked at his napping daughter in the rear view mirror. Maybe he’d thought he couldn’t before, but this moment felt different. Regardless, this was something he was willing to try, for both himself and Anael.


	2. Doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean ponders.

Dean and Castiel ended up playing phone tag over the next four days. As promised, Castiel had called the day he said he would, but Dean had been putting Anael down for her nap. Dean had returned the call the next day, only to get Cas’ really odd voicemail. "Say my name? I am Castiel Novak. This is my phone." Dean had been laughing so hard that leaving a message was impossible. Even so, Castiel had tried back the evening after with the message that, obviously, their schedules did not align very well, and "perhaps he and Dean could meet back at the coffee shop at the same time he had been there the last week?" Returning the call and again getting the funny voicemail, Dean had agreed.

That had been two days ago. It was Wednesday night, the day before his date with Cas, and Dean was doing his best to not think about it. He was failing miserably. His last ‘first date’ had been when he was twenty-six years old. That had been six years before. After that, he and Lisa had been an exclusive couple. They’d been married three years later and Anael had been born two years after that. Even then, it had been even longer since he’d dated a man. He had a long string of one night stands before he had met his late wife, men included in that list, but the last male he had tried to have a relationship with was sometime in his early twenties. He and Michael had definitely not parted as friends. The exact opposite, really.

Dean ran a hand over his face and turned to look at Anael, who was in her bouncy seat, playing with the toys on it. “Ana, I’m not so sure about this anymore. I mean, it’s been so long, and Daddy’s thirty-two now.”

Anael hit one of the toys that spun and laughed while looking up at her father for praise.

“Yes, I see that, little girl.”

Ana smiled widely, green eyes sparkling. “Da!”

Dean nodded seriously from his spot at the kitchen table. “I know. I know. I’m just freaking myself out. It’ll be fine. What’s so difficult, right? We’re just going to talk, and you’ll be there too, huh, Anael?”

“Da! Da!” Ana lifted her arms and waved them towards Dean, asking to be picked up. Smiling softly, Dean pushed away the paperwork that should have been done already and raised Anael from her seat. His daughter automatically grabbed onto Dean’s t-shirt with one hand as he settled her on his lap.

Sighing, Dean glanced at the clock that hung above the sink and touched a finger to Ana’s nose, who giggled quietly. “Hmm, time for you to go to bed, little worm. It’s almost eight, and tomorrows a big day.”

Rising from his chair, Anael snuggled in his arms, Dean made the short walk down the hallway to Ana’s room. He changed her diaper, got her into a light blue onesie before settling her beneath the blanket in the crib, and read her _The Very Hungry Caterpillar_ before kissing her forehead and stepping back to sit on the rocking chair, a gift from Bobby. Rocking slowly, Dean quietly hummed ‘Hey Jude,’ the same lullaby his own mother had sang him and Sam, until he knew Anael was asleep.

In his own room, which actually used to be a study, Dean sat at the edge of his bed in just his boxers and an old AC/DC t-shirt, the baby monitor on the bedside table whirring quietly. He was honestly worried about tomorrow. What if he went and got to know Castiel and didn’t like him? Worse, what if he did? He felt like he was stepping onto new territory, like the game had changed. How was dating at his age supposed to work anyway? Were the more fun dates, like carnivals, laser tag, or paint-balling even options anymore? What if Castiel didn’t enjoy those things? He did teach Religious Studies, after all. Then again, Dean was of the working class and he still enjoyed sitting down with a decent book, so maybe that assumption was unfair. Besides, he’d liked Cas enough last week to give him his number, so he really should stop worrying so much. Groaning, Dean stood and pulled back the sheets and slid beneath them. Flipping onto his stomach and grabbing his pillow, Dean willed himself to sleep. As he’d told Anael, tomorrow was a big day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for this chapter being so short. I didn't have as much time as I wish I had today. But hey! New chapter regardless! :)


	3. Getting Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day arrives.

Dean grumbled in annoyance and slammed his hand down on his alarm clock as it buzzed obnoxiously. He swore as his fingers tried to find the snooze button, but failed. Lifting his head and glaring at the horrible contraption, Dean reached down and simply unplugged the damn thing before lying back on his pillows, eyes closed against the early sun-rays coming through the window. Today was…Thursday? Yeah, that sounded right. He had to get Anael up and at daycare by nine, then go down to the auto shop to balance the books, sign paperwork, and make sure his employees weren’t screwing up his shop. He didn’t have class today, but he was pretty sure he was supposed to call Sam at some point. Or had he done that yesterday? Whatever. If he forgot, Sam would call first anyway. Was there anything else? Oh. _Oh_ …

Eyes snapping open and all traces of lethargy evaporating, Dean remembered exactly what else there was today. His date. With Castiel. Right. Breathing deeply to calm his suddenly fast beating heart, Dean pushed himself up until he could rest his back on the headboard. _All right. No sense in freaking yourself out, Dean. Just get through your day._

Throwing a quick glance at the baby monitor, drawing back the dark blue sheets and getting out of bed, Dean ambled down the hall to Anael’s room. She was still sleeping peacefully, so he went to the bathroom across the hall, brushing his teeth and showering quickly. Hopefully, he could get his morning stuff done before Anael decided to wake up.

He had no such luck though. The moment he stepped out of the shower, still dripping wet, Anael started crying. Hurriedly wrapping a towel around his waist, Dean dashed back across the hall and picked up his distressed daughter. “Well good morning, sunshine! I see you’ve woken up on the wrong side of the crib.” Anael quieted considerably once safely in her father’s arms, but still whimpered pitifully.

Dean smiled at her and kissed her cheeks before carrying Ana over to her changing table and setting the baby down on it. He grabbed a fresh diaper, a pair of jeans, and a moss green sweater for her to wear before taking on the task of actually getting Anael into them. Dean talked to Ana as he tried wrestling her into her outfit. “Remember that big day I was talking about? Well, that’s today, Ana! Yep, Daddy’s got a date. Weird, right?” Ana pouted heavily as her head appeared from the top of the sweater. At almost ten months old, it was clear Anael was about as much of a morning person as Dean himself was.

“Can I tell you a secret? Daddy is actually a little nervous about today, but I’m also happy.”

Anael made what sounded like a noise of disapproval as Dean managed to get her arms through the sweater with relative ease before she started crying again. Quickly finishing getting Ana dressed, and whispering soothingly to her, Dean lifted Anael and carried her back to his bedroom. Setting her in the playpen he had set up in the room, Dean grabbed the plush block he knew Ana liked before handing it to her. “Here, Ana. Daddy has to get dressed then we’ll go find some breakfast, okay?” Ana took the block and promptly started chewing on it and looked at it, displeased, when she realized it wasn’t food. Trying not to laugh, Dean hurried to his closet and pulled out his nicest pair of jeans-which, if he was being honest, weren’t exactly what he’d call nice-and one of his tighter black undershirts. He also grabbed his favorite red and black plaid button-up. Changing quickly, as Ana had started sniffling again, he exited his closet with a pair of socks and work boots in hand. He sat on the edge of the bed, facing the little girl. “It’s all right, Anael. Just another minute and we’ll get you fed.” He stood after getting his shoes on and ran back into the bathroom to hang up his towel and run another over his hair to soak away the stray water droplets. By the time that was done, Ana was screeching unhappily, making Dean dash back to get her.

Breakfast and the subsequent clean-up done, Dean packed up the Impala with Ana, her snack and lunch for the day, her diaper bag, and some paperwork for the shop before setting off toward the daycare center.

Forest Children, the daycare ran by Dean’s longtime friend, Charlie Bradbury, was a small blue and green building right off the highway next to the campus. She was a complete nerd, but a lovable one, despite the slightly shady name of her establishment. Dean remembered her saying something about it referencing some anime. Regardless, it was safe, clean, convenient, and Dean wouldn’t trust Anael with anyone else for the length of time she was sometimes there.

Going inside, Ana in tow, Dean was immediately greeted by Jo, another childhood friend, from behind the counter. “Hello! I know that’s you, Dean, cuz I can see your boots! Gimme a second. There’s a cable back here that just won’t…” Jo yelped as there was a sudden buzz from the outlet she had been poking around. “Oh, forget it. Charlie! The computer is broken! Come fix it!”

Chuckling, Dean shifted Ana to his other hip as Jo appeared from under the counter, smoothing her light blonde hair down. “Careful there, Jo. Don’t want you electrocuted. Just think of what Ellen would say.”

“Oh, shut up. Mom would probably just tell me I deserved it for messing with the cables, since I didn’t know how they worked.”

“And she wouldn’t be wrong either. Jesus, Jo, I fixed this not even last week! Stop putting your feet on the cables and I wouldn’t have to fix this. Oh, hey, Dean.” Charlie burst into the room, washable marker already on her forearms, fiery red hair streaking behind her as she practically dove behind the counter.

Laughing outright this time, Dean handed Anael to Jo. “Hey, Charlie. Business as usual, yeah?”

“Worse, actually. We got some new kids this last week. Brothers. One is five and the other is three. They’re little terrors. And-ouch!-get this, one’s name is actually Lucifer. I’m not kidding.” Charlie stood, rubbing her head from where she’d collided with the underside of the wooden counter. “Anyway, they’re both still in the adjustment period and pressing on boundaries. Ya know, testing what they can and can’t get away with. It’ll be over soon. I hope.”

“Sounds like crap, Charlie. Makes me glad I don’t have your job.”

“Yeah, but you’ve still got a kid.”

Dean smirked. “Anael? She’s a little angel.”

“Ha-freakin'-ha, Winchester.”

“You know she’s your favorite. Anyway, I gotta get to work. I’m actually running a little behind, so I’ll be back at three for Anael.” He kissed his daughter on the forehead. “Okay, little girl? I’ll see you at three,” he said and waved as he walked back out the door.

Anael raised her pudgy hand and waved back, yelling an actual word for the first time that day. “Da! Da! Da!”

Back outside, Dean made his way to the Impala and drove across town to work. Without Anael in the car, Dean happily blasted his old rock tapes during the drive. Twenty minutes later, he was parking to the side of “Winchester Auto Repair and Body Shop”. He had always rolled his eyes at the long-winded name, but Dean could never bring himself to change it, even after his dad had died and the shop was named his.

Walking into the garage, hearing the familiar sounds of drills, cranks, and wrenches, Dean entered his office and shut the door soundly against the noise. As much as he didn’t mind it, the racket from the shop still distracted him if he was balancing the books. He really didn’t feel like risking mistakes today. He had plans later, after all.

At the thought of his date, Dean felt his stomach clench. Sitting at his desk and opening the register, Dean resolutely tried to ignore the butterflies currently throwing a party in his stomach and throat.

Three hours later, Dean had gotten almost nothing done. Maybe a full page of receipts, if even that. Checking his watch and seeing it was almost one o’clock, Dean decided he’d go ahead and call Sam to see if they could meet for lunch. He wasn’t going to get anything done at the shop today, and if he did, he was pretty sure it wasn’t right. Sighing heavily in defeat, Dean pulled out his phone and dialed Sam’s number.

It rang twice before Sam picked up. “Dean! What’s up?”

“Hey, Sam. You wanna grab lunch today? I’m bored here. Too many numbers.”

“Just bored?”

Dean could practically see Sam’s knowing grin. He scowled, he never should have told Sam that he had a date later this afternoon. “Yes, Sammy. Just bored. And hungry. I didn’t get much of a breakfast since Ana was fussy this morning.”

Sam laughed. “Yeah, sure. Sounds great, actually! I could use a break from all this client paperwork. Today’s an office day, and I hate it. Where you wanna meet up?”

“I was thinking about going to The Roadhouse. I haven’t seen Ellen in a while, and it’s about halfway between us both.”

“Whatever, Dean. You just want one of Ellen’s burgers and a decent beer.”

Dean frowned again, even if Sam couldn’t see it. “Your point? They’re good, and I know Ellen ain’t spittin’ in my food. I’ll meet you there in twenty. See ya.”

Hanging up, Dean distantly heard Sam’s laughing, “Bye, Dean,” before he stood and stretched. Oh yes, a good greasy burger definitely sounded good right now. Closing the register and putting away the paperwork, Dean grabbed his keys and wallet and made a beeline for one of his mechanics to let them know he’d be out the rest of the day. He found Garth first, underneath an old Chevy, and kicked his boot.

“Hey, Garth. I’m heading out to meet Sam and then pick up Anael. You’ve got keys to the place, so lock up tonight, all right?”

Rolling out from under the truck, Garth stared up at Dean. “Sure thing, boss! Why ya leavin’ so early?”

Dean narrowed his eyes. Garth was a good kid, but he had a knack for cutting directly to the point that you didn’t want him to find. He’d found it anyway, and he knew it from the way Dean had slightly tensed at the rather innocent question. Great.

“Nothing Garth. I’m just meeting Sammy for lunch and then I’ve got to pick up Ana, like I said. Nothing else.”

“You sure?”

“…Yes, Garth.”

The man shrugged and rolled back beneath the truck. “All right, Dean. But if you need to talk, I’ll be under this old clunker.”

Smiling awkwardly at Garth’s boots, Dean turned to leave. “Yeah, sure. Okay. See ya later.”

Nearly sprinting toward the Impala, Dean climbed in and started the engine hurriedly. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, put the car into gear, and headed toward Ellen’s place.


	4. Beer, Burger, and Pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nerves + Lunch with Sam

The ten minute drive to The Roadhouse was enough for Dean to completely psych himself out about his date, and Sam knew it the second he saw him. Ordering a beer and burger for his brother as Dean slumped into the booth and stared toward the table, not meeting his brother’s eyes, Sam raised an eyebrow. “So…you okay?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Sammy.”

Sam leaned forward, a determined look on his face. “Maybe not, but you probably should.”

He glared slightly in Sam’s direction. “Yeah, well, 'should' doesn’t mean I’m going to. Drop it.”

“No, Dean. I really think you should talk about this.” He paused and looked uncertain for a moment. Dean knew what was coming and prepared himself for the inevitable question. “Is it…Lisa?”

Groaning, Dean ran both hands through his short hair. “Ya know, surprisingly, it isn’t. I told you that just last month when you last demanded to know my 'feelings,' Sam.”

Dean looked up at his brother then. If he didn’t feel so crappy, he probably would have laughed at the look on Sam’s face. He seemed genuinely surprised, and a little confused, that Lisa wasn’t the problem. Not all of it, anyway. Dean watched Sam, waiting for him to say something. When he didn’t, Dean sighed in exasperation. “All right, Sammy. Just this once since you look so goddamned confused. It’s been six years since I’ve dated anyone. Even longer since I dated a guy. It’s like it’s new all over again. That’s all. I’m just plain ole nervous. Nothing profound, but I feel like a damned teenager, and I really hate that.”

Recovered from his mini shock, Sam nodded in understanding, his hazel eyes soft. “Okay, I get that. But this seemed like more than first date jitters.”

“Try remembering how you felt on your first date ever. It was probably back in middle school. Kind of like that, but with adult problems, baggage, and over-thinking thrown in. The end.”

“All right. Fine. I believe you.”

“Good. I wish you’d have just Let. It. Go.”

“You’ve been watching Disney’s _Frozen_ with Anael again, haven’t you?”

The question felt so off-the-wall that Dean burst into laughter, which may have sounded slightly hysterical to Sam, but whatever. When their food came, Dean was still wiping tears of mirth off his face.

Throughout their meal, which was mostly silent, Dean periodically threw grateful looks at Sam as the man picked at his salad, frowning at the limp lettuce. He would absolutely never admit it, but the awkward talk and the much needed laughter had helped. Dean let a small smile slip through as he asked about what Sam was up to at work, and his brother put down his fork and sprang into describing his latest case.

Sam and Dean, well mostly Sam, talked until it was time for Dean to pick up Anael from daycare. Ellen wasn’t at The Roadhouse that day, so they paid their tab and left. In the parking lot, Sam momentarily squeezed Dean’s arm in silent encouragement before moving to his car and driving away with a wave. Dean leaned against the Impala, thinking. What he’d told Sam had been true, but Lisa was still part of it. Every time he thought of being with someone else, he felt a twinge in his chest, followed by guilt, and then he’d have to actively remember things that Lisa herself had told him. Sometimes that process stayed stuck on guilt, and Dean didn’t know how to make it stop. He knew that the whole “in time” thing was bullshit. He would never forget, and he knew losing Lisa would always hurt, but moving on as she had asked him to do seemed impossible.

Forcing air out of his lungs in a huff, Dean pushed his feelings back into their designated boxes, slid into the Impala’s front seat, and drove off towards his daughter.

Picking up Anael had been quick, as usual. Dean always arrived at the same time each day during the week, and knowing Charlie like he did guaranteed Ana’s quick transfer back into Dean’s care. But today, the two weren’t going home. In the backseat on the way to Jess’ shop, Ana was quieter than usual, like she knew something was different. Either that or she could sense that Dean was becoming more and more nervous. Dean thought he’d read something about smaller children being able to pick up on that sort of stuff, but he couldn’t think clearly enough to remember right now. Even so, it didn’t matter. They were there.

Parking the Impala, Dean glanced at his watch. Three-thirty. He had about fifteen minutes to calm the hell down. Getting out slowly, grabbing up Anael in her carrier, and then walking towards the front entrance to Heavenly Sweets was a lot harder than Dean thought it would be. _Come on, Dean. It’s fine. It’s just a date for Christ’s sake. Not like you’re asking the guy to stay forever. It’s coffee. You like coffee. And pie. Jess has pie. You’re getting pie._

As Dean’s thoughts drifted onto one of his favorite subjects, his nerves lessened and he walked into the shop looking a tad more human than he had been a few moments ago. Giving the place a quick scan, Dean saw the shop was empty of anyone. Moving toward the back booth, the same one Castiel had been sitting at the first time, Dean put down Anael’s carrier on the inside of the booth. He grabbed the blanket he kept tucked to the side and covered her with it. Nap-time today would be here at the bakery. Thankfully, she already looked ready to drop. “Be right back,” he told her as he moved to the display cases holding the day’s pie choices.

“Hey, Jess! You in the back?” Dean called in the direction of the kitchen.

There was a deafening crash of something hitting the floor and then, a few seconds later, some short guy with honey blonde hair that had flour in it ran to the front looking beyond just ruffled. “Hi! Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I didn’t hear the door, and I was trying to reach bowls that were up on the high shelf, but Jess isn’t here, and I didn’t know where the step ladder was, so I just kind of climbed on top of the counter, but then I heard someone yell right as I was about to reach up, so I fell and…”

Dean held up his hands. “Jesus dude, slow the hell down. It’s fine. I’m guessing you’re Gabriel then. Jess is my brother’s wife. I’m not gonna tell her you were climbing on her counters. I just wanted some pie.”

The man blinked golden-brown eyes owlishly. “Oh. Right. What kind?”

“A piece of the apple would be nice.”

Gabriel took another moment and then smiled brightly. “Okay, can do!” He whirled around, grabbed a plate, fork, and napkin, before spinning back and cutting into the pie. A second later, he handed it over to Dean saying, “Just take it. Seriously. Don’t tell Jess.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, sure thing. Not gonna say no to free pie.” He took the plate and walked back over to where he had left Ana. Checking on her, he saw that despite the racket caused by Gabriel, she had fallen asleep without a problem. Sitting down in the seat facing both Anael and the window, Dean started eating his pie. Glancing back over to the counter, he saw that Gabriel had gone back to the kitchen area. He shook his head at the memory of the hurricane of a person he had just met. Jesus, the guy was probably in his early thirties, like Dean, but Gabriel needed to take a chill pill. Jess hadn’t been kidding. Then again, she also hadn’t been lying when she said he made some damn good pie. Dean gazed out the window and daydreamed about getting that recipe off him. Maybe he’d exchange it for Dean’s continued silence about the man’s obvious insanity. He chuckled to himself. Nah, blackmail wasn’t his style. Maybe he could just-

The voice that interrupted his rather childish musings was rough, deep, and gravely, causing all of Dean’s thoughts to screech to a halt.

“Hello, Dean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I promise that the next chapter is the date. Promise, promise, promise. And I'll have it up as soon as I can! Thanks for reading!


	5. Heart in Your Throat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dating doesn't really change over time, after all. Still new. Still awkward.

Feeling as though his stomach was suddenly in his throat, Dean swallowed as he slowly turned toward the man standing directly behind him. Cas stood there, looking slightly rumpled in his ill-fitting suit and beige trench coat, but he had a small smile on his face. _Wait. Trench coat?_

Finding his voice, Dean wrinkled his eyebrows at Castiel’s attire. “Dude, you do know it’s March and nearly eighty degrees outside, right?”

Smile falling, Castiel glanced down at his clothing. “My building gets very cold. I find the coat is something I require in my office.”

Dean mentally winced. _Good going, Winchester. Insult the guy why don’t ya? This is going great already._

He was suddenly painfully aware of the tense silence. “Right! Got it. Just don’t want ya passing out from a heat stroke, yeah? I’d rather not have our date at the hospital.” Dean smiled nervously and motioned towards the seat across from himself. “Come sit down.”

Castiel nodded as he moved and sat down on the cushioned seat, still managing to look rather stiff. He hadn’t removed the coat.

Dean looked over at Anael, who was still snoozing, and almost wished she’d wake up and give him a distraction, but not quite. If she woke up now, she’d be a terror the rest of the day.

Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Dean said the first thing that came to mind, “So the weather is nice,” and immediately grimaced while barely refraining from smacking himself. _Oh Christ, really? Did I seriously just blurt that out?_

According to Cas’ solemn nod of agreement, he had, but the man still hadn’t said anything.

The silence continued for several moments, becoming denser by the second. At the same time, Dean was getting angry with himself. _You’ve got to be kidding. You talked just fine a week ago. What’s so different now? Just…talk about something you talked about then. Maybe that’ll help._ Dean twiddled his thumbs on the surface of the table as he thought and looked awkwardly in Castiel’s general direction. _Oh, right, there’s an idea._ “Uh… How’s your class going? Religious Studies, right?”

It was like a switch had been hit in Castiel. The blue-eyed man instantly sat up straighter and grinned, the bright, honest smile doing its best to stop Dean’s heart.

“Yes, that’s right. You’ll remember the papers I was grading last week?” Cas waited for Dean’s affirmation. “Well, while I was correct about those not going well, and the fault really is my own, I have since moved on to lecture on John Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” It is a truly amazing piece of epic poetry and certainly my favorite part of each term. While it is not a religious text itself, Milton’s take on the fall of the Archangel Lucifer, the building of Hell, and the Christian creation story is, as the author himself states, meant to justify and explain God’s actions to Mankind. It is very moving bit of literature as well as being informative about Men and their interpretations and justifications of their deities. The first two books are the ones I most enjoy. They deal specifically with the war in Heaven and the fall of Lucifer into Hell. Did you know that along with him, one-third of the Angels fell as well? It is a little known fact among even the most religious of people, I’ve found, unless they have studied the subject extensively. What I’ve come to believe through my own research and interpretations is that, oddly enough, Lucifer was mainly cast out for his own qualities he shared with humanity and…”

As Castiel talked animatedly about the apparent humanity in Angels, most specifically Lucifer, Dean felt himself relax into his chair, lips twitching upward as he stared at the man sitting before him. This is what he remembered from his first short meeting with Castiel. His voice was relaxing (he imagined he was a fantastic instructor) and he was clearly passionate about his profession. That quality was hard to find in people nowadays. Everything about Castiel told of his genuine warmth and light; a light which Dean wouldn’t mind basking in endlessly.

Bathed in the sunlight streaming in through the bakery windows, Cas himself could easily be mistaken for a being decidedly more ethereal than a human. His hair, so dark brown it may as well have been black, seemed to swallow the light shining on him, making the hazy air about him glow. His eyes did the exact opposite; they were a reflecting pool of intense and piercing cerulean. Cas was still beaming at him as he spoke about his research and the courses he taught; the smile was nearly blinding as it showed off perfect white teeth surrounded by full, kissable lips. The small laugh lines around his eyes, brought out by his grin, only added to the beauty of him. Castiel looked like the Angel his name dubbed him as, and Dean couldn’t bring himself to stop his blatant staring until the Angel himself called for his attention. “Dean? Are you all right?”

Forcing himself to focus on what Cas was actually saying, Dean uncrossed his arms and rested his elbows on the table. “Yeah, Cas. I’m fine.” _I just really like you, and I don’t actually know how to tell you._

Dean watched as one of Castiel’s eyebrows shifted upward. “I see. I only ask because you had the look that some of my students sometimes get when they are thinking about other things in the middle of my lectures. I apologize if I am boring you. I often forget that not everyone has the same passion for religions and literature that I harbor.”

“No, no! You’re not boring me. Not at all. Really. And I think it’s great that you have something you love so completely. Not everyone can say that. Hobbies get old for people, so they always try and find something else. Or they’ll have a job simply for the money it brings in. It’s nice to see something, someone, who’s different.” _Not to mention the fact that your students were probably right there with me on the train of thought of how beautiful you are if the look is that familiar to you. You’re probably distracting your own students and not even realizing it. Go figure._

“Geez, Dean-o. You’re gonna make a guy blush.” The voice that cut into Dean’s tirade, and then mental additions, was rather loud and grating. Dean briefly worried that he’d said that last bit out loud, but upon looking at Castiel, who looked rather unaffected, he relaxed, but tensed again when he remembered the unexpected visitor.

Dean looked up to confirm his suspicions and glared icily at the man. Gabriel. He’d had no problem with the guy until right that second. “It’s Dean, and could you...”

“Great job! You know your name! And hey, if I’d have known you were the one that Cassie was meeting here, I wouldn’t have given you the free pie. Can’t go looking like a softy to someone who wants to take advantage of my little brother!”

Dean felt his cheeks and ears heat rapidly at Gabriel’s words. “What? No, I…”

At the same time, Cas’ entire face had reddened as he admonished, “Gabriel. My name is Castiel, not Cassie. I do not appreciate your irritating nicknames, and while I may be your younger brother, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Now I wish to ask you to please go back to work.”

Gabriel huffed dramatically, rolling his eyes so far back that Dean found himself wishing they’d get stuck. “I am at work, Cassie! Look! I even brought you the coffee that neither of you even bothered to order!” Gabriel set the two mugs, that neither Cas nor Dean had noticed Gabriel even had, out on the table in front of them. “There, see? I’m a good brother and all that. My bases are covered. I embarrassed you both and gave you free things and…”

The front door to the shop opened then, revealing Sam and Jess. She held the door for Sam since he was hauling a box in with him. Jess waved, smiling at the three, giving Gabriel an obvious look that said leave-them-alone-and-go-do-something-else before she disappeared into the back, Sam following behind with a, “Hey guys!” Right as he turned the corner for the kitchen, Sam poked his head back around the bright yellow wall. “Hey, Gabe. I need to know where these dishes and appliances go in the kitchen. Come help.” He vanished around the corner again, clearly expecting Gabriel to be close behind.

From the booth, both Dean and Castiel stared expectantly at Gabriel. Dean looked annoyed. Cas just looked bored, as though Gabriel’s behavior was nothing new to him. It probably wasn’t. Sighing is defeat, Gabriel spun around, threw a wink at the two over his shoulder, and was gone as quickly as he’d appeared, leaving Cas and Dean alone again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Just a quick rundown for anyone who is curious: As an English major in college, I have studied "Paradise Lost" (yes, on purpose) quite a bit. I spent almost an entire semester on it and wrote multiple research papers over the material. My main focus were the first two books. Of course, my opinions are my own, but I gave them to Castiel in this story to show his (and my) enthusiasm for the text.
> 
> Extra Disclaimer: I do not own John Milton's "Paradise Lost." Nor do I own Supernatural and its characters.


	6. Finding a Comfort Zone... Sort Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean get a bit more comfortable with each other.

They stared at each other for a moment before Dean’s face broke into a small smile that he was sure looked more like a grimace. “He always that way?”

Castiel’s entire face seemed to drop in resignation. “Yes, he has been that way throughout our lives. It can be…tiresome. Thankfully, I no longer live with him.”

Seeing an opportunity for a peek into Castiel’s more personal life, Dean quickly asked, “So where do you live now? I’ve got a place about ten minutes out from here in that little neighborhood right inside the town limits.”

“I live in my parent’s old home. It is a somewhat short walk from here. Gabriel did not want it, so I ended up inheriting it when my father passed. I do not remember my mother and my father was rarely there anyway, so it already felt like it was mine. It is conveniently placed, so I walk most everywhere since I do not own a vehicle.”

Ignoring the tremor of familiarity and rush of understanding of Castiel’s situation, Dean latched onto the more comfortable subject. “You don’t have a car?”

Cas shrugged. “I saw no need for it.”

“Yeah, I get that, but man, I couldn’t imagine being without my Baby.”

Cas’ head tilted a little to the side and he glanced at Anael. “Baby?” Dean’s laughter filled the quiet shop. He didn’t understand why Dean was laughing, but the sound of it made Castiel feel warm. He took a sip of the coffee Gabriel had brought before tuning in to Dean’s response.

“No, my car. I’ve got a 1967 Chevy Impala. I’ve called her Baby since, hell, I honestly can’t remember. She’s my pride and joy, second only to Ana, of course.”

“Of course.” Castiel settled the cup back into its saucer. Both of his hands surrounded the almost too warm cup as he stared at the coffee’s surface and tried to think of something else to say. Perhaps something that could make Dean laugh again…

But Dean began talking before he could come up with something. He sounded hesitant. “Maybe I could give you a ride home? So, ya know, you don’t have to walk.”

Castiel raised his eyes and looked at Dean in confusion. “I like walking.”

Whatever hope had been on Dean’s face vanished so quickly, Castiel wasn’t even sure it had been there at all. He looked…dejected, if Cas had to put a word to it. _Did I say something wrong?_ Replaying the last few moments in his head, Castiel came to the conclusion that he may have given Dean the impression he didn’t like him by saying he would rather walk home. Cas cleared his throat, intent on fixing his (now) obvious blunder. “However, I should like to talk with you more, so accepting your offer would be my pleasure, Dean.”

Dean’s demeanor visibly brightened and he grinned at Castiel, eyes sparkling. “Great!” He paused a moment before smirking. “I’d walk you home if walking was what you wanted, but since I’ve got Anael, maybe we can save that for next time?” Again, Dean sounded hopeful, his eyes wide and bright.

Castiel dipped his head and wrung his hands under the table. “Yes, next time would be nice.”

Dean, who hadn’t touched his coffee up to that point, finally grabbed the cup and downed the liquid quickly and nearly spit it back out. It was cold. Confused, he looked from Cas’ cup to his own and realized what the problem was. _Bastard gave me an old batch of coffee. Damn it, Gabriel._ He had to (begrudgingly) admit though, for a more subtle prank, the guy did well. Almost slamming the mug back on the table, but careful not to break the porcelain or wake Anael, he smiled widely at Cas. _I’ve got another date! Awesome. There. See? That wasn’t so bad. You freaked yourself out for no damn reason. Again._

Narrowly avoiding tripping over the legs of the table as he stood, Dean grabbed hold of Anael’s car seat, careful not to jostle her too much, and looked back down at Cas. “So? Ready to go?”

Glancing sadly at his coffee, which was still half full and actually looked warm, Castiel took one more sip of the liquid and joined Dean at the side of the table. “Yes, that is fine. I have some grading to do tonight.”

Dean wasn’t entirely sure where to go from there, so he simply nodded in understanding, pulled out his car keys, and headed for the exit. Right before he reached the door, he stopped and turned back around. “Hey, Cas, hold Ana for a minute, will ya?”

Castiel frowned, but took the carrier from Dean’s hand anyway, trying not to blush when their hands brushed over the handle. Thankfully, Dean had already made his way to the counter and proceeded to lean over it as far as he could, yelling into the kitchen, “See ya, Sammy! Bye, Jess! Oh, and Gabriel, your coffee sucks!”

Immediately, Dean heard Sam’s reply of, “It’s Sam!” and Jess’ voice saying, “Gabriel, what did you do?” in the most reproving voice she could muster, and cackling laughter from the aforementioned baker. Rolling his eyes and silently asking, _why me?_ , Dean slipped off the counter. Feet once more planted firmly on the tile, he spun around towards Cas and stopped when he saw the look on the man’s face.

Still standing by the door and carefully holding Anael’s car seat in both hands, and Dean wasn’t going to think about how _right_ that looked in his mind, Castiel’s intense gaze was riveted to the spot where Dean’s ass had just been on display. Smirking, Dean sauntered up to Castiel and snapped in front of his face to get the guy’s attention, clearing his throat. “Cas, I know my ass is great, but come on; you’re gonna ogle me while holding my daughter?”

Blinking rapidly and blushing hotly, Cas’ eyes widened at being caught before he searched Dean’s eyes with his own, saw the humor dancing there, and relaxed. “My apologies. I was under the impression that ‘ogling’ was allowed on dates. You were the one who leaned over the counter, after all. It was…distracting.”

Chuckling, Dean leaned closer to Cas, breathing hotly in his ear. “If you thought that was distracting, I can’t wait to find out what else catches those pretty blue eyes of yours. Wonder what it takes to make you forget those things…” Dean mused, waltzing to the door and sweeping it open. Dean mentally congratulated himself as Cas took a good five or six seconds to gather his thoughts before walking through the threshold, blushing fiercely once again, still carrying Anael.

Neither man saw Sam and Jess standing at the entrance of the kitchen with Sam looking at the unfinished piece of pie on the back table in surprise and Jess smiling gently after the two who had just left her shop.


	7. Making Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Driving home and making plans.

The drive to Castiel’s house took less than five minutes. Cas hadn’t been kidding when he said he lived close. The drive over had been quiet, mostly since Anael was sleeping, but Dean appreciated the companionable and easy silence that had settled between him and Cas nonetheless.

Once Dean had pulled into Castiel’s empty driveway, he turned toward Castiel and saw his blush still hadn’t completely receded. “What?” Dean asked, fighting back a wide, knowing grin.

Castiel opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He furrowed his eyebrows and cleared his throat. “Can…” he started, ducking his chin and gazing at his lap. “Can I, perhaps, call you tomorrow?”

Dean wasn’t able to hold back a smile while he mentally let out a cheer. “Sure thing, Cas! Maybe we can meet up again soon, too? We could have dinner at my place.” Dean watched as Castiel’s blush brightened again as he wrung his hands. Dean quickly backpedaled. “I mean, we don’t have to. No pressure or anything.” He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly nervous. “Just…I wouldn’t mind seeing you again, is all. And…”

“My apologies, Dean, but-”

_Oh, here it comes… I knew this was too good to be true_ , Dean thought, wincing internally while trying to keep a blank and unassuming look on his face.

“–I am simply not used to courting. I’ll admit that giving you my contact information was out of character for me. I surprised myself last week.” He paused and breathed deeply before meeting Dean’s wary gaze. “I would gladly accept your invitation to dinner. Tomorrow night, perhaps? My students have an exam tomorrow, but it is not pressing that I grade them immediately.”

Dean visibly relaxed and then snorted when he realized Cas had actually used the word ‘courting.’

Castiel raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Dean?”

Dean sat up straighter in his seat and beamed at Castiel, his heart rate picking back up after his imagined rejection. “Yeah, Cas. Tomorrow would work out great! Maybe a late supper, since I’ve got to be at the garage, and I’ll want Ana in bed before you’re there. Gotta clean up the house a bit. Ah, that can wait. I’ll also have to go to the grocery store and maybe pick up some things to make burgers. I make good burgers. We’ll need beer, too. Yep! And maybe I can find us an apple pie somewhere. Or maybe cherry…” Dean trailed off when he realized that he had started talking to himself and making plans mid-sentence. He felt heat rise in his cheeks when he saw the amusement dancing in Castiel’s eyes. He coughed awkwardly. “Right, so, does eight o’clock tomorrow sound good?”

To Dean’s gratitude, Cas glossed over his ramblings, and answered, “Yes, that is fine, but…how will I get to your home?”

Dean nearly smacked his head against the steering wheel for his error. _Cas doesn’t own a car, idiot! And he can’t walk the whole way there! God, Dean, use your goddamned brain!_ Biting his lip, and hoping his brother wouldn’t bitch at him for it later, Dean said, “I’ll get Sam or Jess to watch Anael while I drive over and pick you up. They live a couple streets over, and it’s only about a fifteen minute drive from where I’m at to here.”

Castiel nodded minutely. “That is agreeable.”

When Cas didn’t say anything else, and before he could talk himself out of it, Dean leaned across the seat and brushed a chaste kiss to Cas’ cheek. Castiel stiffened in surprise, face flaming, before relaxing again. He looked at Dean, wide-eyed, and murmured, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He practically hopped out of the car, still careful not to slam the door-Dean noted this with appreciation-and rushed to his porch.

Dean couldn’t help but grin when he saw Cas was fumbling with his keys. When the man finally got his front door open, he glanced over his shoulder and waved shyly, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. Dean waved back, smirking unashamedly at Castiel, before putting the Impala into reverse and backing out of the driveway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so, so, so, sorry! I know it has been forever since I've touched this story, but this last semester has been my craziest yet! I WILL finish this though. Soon. I wanted to at least give out a new chapter today, so you guys would know I haven't abandoned it, even if the chapter is a tad short. Thanks!  
> ~Aura


	8. Bumps in the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Castiel’s date went off without a hitch. Well, maybe a few hitches.

Dean and Castiel’s date went off without a hitch. Well, maybe a few hitches. Ana had woken up wailing in the middle of dessert, and Dean had left Castiel sitting awkwardly at the table, poking at his pie, while he tended to his daughter. He came back, fifteen minutes later, to find Castiel wandering around the living room, looking at the few photographs that Dean had hanging on its walls.

Dean silently sidled up to him. “See anything you like?” If he hadn’t been watching for it, Dean would’ve missed the minute jerk of Castiel’s shoulders as he jumped, but Dean’s smirk slipped off his face when he saw Castiel’s expression. “Whoa, you okay?”

Castiel nodded jerkily, still staring at one of the photos. Dean hadn’t bothered focusing on the picture, but his heart jerked painfully when he did. Surrounded by pictures of Sam and Jess, Bobby, Ellen, and Jo, Charlie, and his parents, was a picture of Lisa and Anael at barely two weeks old. Lisa was sitting in the rocking chair in Anael’s room, cradling their sleeping daughter, a playful smile on her lips, dark eyes twinkling cheerfully, as she mimed for Dean to be quiet. She looked tired, as all new mothers did, but happy. “You wake her, you take her.” had been Lisa’s motto, and it was one that Dean had been forced to abide by.

Slipping from his daydream, Dean felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He turned his head towards Castiel and smiled weakly.

“This was your wife.”

It wasn’t a question, but Dean bobbed his head anyway. “Yeah.” He didn’t know what else to say. Was this the part where he was supposed to break down and tell Castiel all the things that he missed about her? Was he supposed to talk about her like she was just fond memories to him now? Was he supposed to lament all the memories he didn’t get to make now that she was gone? Was he supposed to rage to whatever God might exist that his wife wouldn’t get to see her daughter grow up? He’d done that already. It hadn’t been useful.

Instead of the usual platitudes people offered though, Castiel returned to studying the photograph. A few moments later, he stated, “Ana has her nose and ears, but your eyes and mouth. I must admit, I’m wondering where she gets the red hair.”

Dean let out the breath he’d been holding and gave Cas a grateful look. “Yeah, uh, Lisa said that she had an uncle with red hair, so we figured that was it.”

Castiel nodded contemplatively. “I see. That seems to be the most likely case.”

Stepping away from the photos, Dean slid onto the couch, motioning for Castiel to join him. The man hesitated a moment before sitting carefully on the cushion next to Dean, but, Dean noticed with a sense of pleasure, not _too_ far away from him.

Castiel turned his blue eyes on Dean after a beat of silence. “Thank you for dinner. You were correct in saying you make good hamburgers. They were very enjoyable.”

Dean smiled and reached over to shove Cas lightly. “Wouldn’t mind having them again, huh?” He watched in triumph as Castiel blushed. Castiel was very fair-skinned, so the flush in his cheeks was just so damn adorable. Making Cas blush was quickly becoming one of Dean’s favorite pastimes. That, and he had caught himself wondering, more than once, just how far down that blush went. _But,_ Dean reminded himself, _this is only our second date, and we are **not** going to jump the gun, right? Right. _ He looked at Castiel, who was biting his lower lip. Dean’s thoughts screeched to a halt, eyes riveted. Castiel’s lips were thin, but his bottom lip was still full, especially as Cas had been chewing it for the past several moments, and possibly before Dean had come back through the living room.

 “Dean, we…”

Dean raised an eyebrow at the nervousness in Cas’ voice.He quickly ran back through the evening in his head trying to find anything that he had said or done that could cause Castiel to feel nervous. _I picked him up from his house a couple minutes after eight, so I wasn’t late. We came back here. I kicked Sam out. I finished the burgers while we chatted. We ate over some good conversation. We talked about our jobs, Ana, family, and I definitely have to remember to introduce him to Star Wars. I mean, really. But then I got the pie, and Ana started crying. Then he was looking around in the living room. What could I have possibly done? Unless I said or did something without realizing it! Shit! Maybe I said something a bit too mean about Gabriel? Did I leave something laying around that I shouldn’t have?_ He scanned the room quickly. _Nope. Nothing. The hell did I do? Maybe…_ His mental ramblings were cut off when Castiel cleared his throat.

“Dean, I seem to have discovered the flaw in our plans for tonight.”

Dean’s eyes widened comically. _Shit, shit, shit!_ He gulped and tried not to sound like he was on the defensive. “Yeah? And what’s that?” _Well, that failed._

Castiel tilted his head a bit to the side, eyebrows furrowed. “Well, you picked me up from my home, and…”

Dean smacked a hand to his forehead and groaned loudly. “Damn it! How’re you supposed to get back? I can’t leave Ana on her own.” He glanced at the clock. “And Sam and Jess keep normal human hours. It’s past ten already. Crap! God, I cannot believe that one of us didn’t think of that. Not even Sam thought of that.” Dean’s eyes widened again. “That little bastard. I’d bet money that he did this on purpose. Oh, I’m gonna…”

“—ean? Dean!”

Dean snapped his mouth shut, surprised that Castiel had raised his voice even a little. He seemed like the type that had an endless amount of patience. _Then again,_ Dean thought, _he was probably tired of trying to get my attention._

Castiel continued. “I can easily walk home. It is not a big deal. I have walked farther before.”

Dean had an idea to solve their problem, but he wasn’t sure how comfortable Cas would be with it, so he tried another approach first. “Maybe you could call your brother?”

Cas shook his head in the negative. “Gabriel shuts off his phone at nine-thirty every evening. Something about ‘personal time,’ he says. I’m not completely sure.”

Dean blinked. _Wow, I did not need to know that. How can Cas possibly misunderstand what that probably means?_ He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Right, well, I’m not gonna let you walk home, and there’re no cabs in town and no one to drive you, so it looks like you’re stayin’ here.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “That is, if that’s okay with you.”

Castiel seemed to consider Dean’s words for all of three seconds. “That will be fine. I can sleep on the couch?” he inquired.

With a sigh, Dean heaved himself off the couch and stretched before answering through a yawn. “Nope. You can stay in the guest room. I’ll show you to it, then I’ll grab a few things for ya. Come on.” He walked off down the hallway, aware that Castiel was following closely behind him.

Coming toward the only open door in the hall, Dean motioned towards it and the adjoining bathroom to Castiel before scrounging around in the linen closet for a spare set of sheets. He came back into the room a minute later, sheets in hand, and quickly remade the bed, stripping his own sheets from the mattress. Hopefully Castiel wouldn’t notice.

Hearing the flush of the toilet and running water from the sink, Dean dashed back out of the room. When he heard the bathroom door open, he walked back in carrying the extra blanket he’d grabbed.

Castiel was sitting on the edge of the bed, running his hands over the newly laid sheets curiously. He’d removed most of his clothing, leaving him in dark blue boxers and a white undershirt. Dean swallowed hard and determinedly did _not_ look at the way the shirt clung to the smoothly toned muscles of Castiel’s arms and torso. He also did _not_ look at the hard calves of Castiel’s legs. _Dude has got to run or something. Damn. Wait… No, Dean._

Stepping forward quickly, he dumped the blanket in Castiel’s lap. “I, uh, I changed the sheets for you. It’s been so long since I’ve had a guest that… Well, the sheets were…dusty?” Dean mentally kicked himself for ending on what obviously sounded like a question. “Anyway, I’ll…uh…see ya in the morning.”

Castiel smiled softly up at Dean, fingers curled around the blanket. “Thank you, Dean. It is very kind of you to let me stay. I enjoyed our date very much.” A look of determination crossed Castiel’s face right then, making Dean hesitate for a moment.

Before Dean could move any farther away, Cas stood and moved until he was scant inches from Dean, his breath flowing warmly across Dean’s face. _Huh,_ Dean registered vaguely, caught up in Castiel’s earnest gaze, _He found the mouth wash._ “Cas?” he breathed, unsure.

A small smile graced Castiel’s features as he crossed the last bit of space between them, and Dean couldn’t help but lean forward a bit too, brushing their lips together lightly, just the barest of touches, before pulling away again. “Good night, Dean.”

Dean had to remind himself to breathe after a moment and blinked rapidly, taking in Castiel’s sleepy and pleased countenance. “Yeah,” he finally mumbled, moving towards the door again and actually making it this time. “Night, Cas,” he whispered, letting the door gently click shut behind him. He leaned against the doorway for a moment, trying to process exactly what had just happened, before a yawn interrupted his thoughts.

Smiling regardless of his minor confusion, Dean meandered down the hallway and back to the couch for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, surprise! Another chapter, and it's a long one!! I meant it when I said I'd continue working on this. Thanks to those of you who've been following along! Your support is appreciated!   
> ~Aura


	9. Caught Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took approximately four more sleepover dates, as Dean had taken to calling them, for Castiel to catch on. And, surprisingly, it wasn’t from Castiel waking up first to find Dean dozing on the couch.

Bright sunlight, filtering in from the front windows, slowly brought Dean to a hazy state of consciousness. He groaned and turned over on his back, blinking lazily at the white ceiling. It took a few minutes before he registered that he’d woken up on his own and not with an alarm or a crying Anael. He smiled and rolled back onto his side again, facing the back of the couch and away from the daylight. Breathing deeply, Dean ran over the night before in his head.

Last night had been Sam’s 29th birthday party. Dean had, to a couple people’s surprise, brought along Castiel as his date. They’d been seeing each other for nearly two months, and somehow, Cas hadn’t met Ellen or Bobby yet, despite Dean taking Cas to “The Roadhouse” at least three times. They always seemed to miss them.

As it turned out though, Jo had made sure to tell her parents all about Dean’s new partner, so Dean hadn’t had to explain much. Jo hadn’t even left their ‘How did you two meet?’ story for Dean or Cas to tell. As it was, Bobby had given Cas an appraising, then approving, look before clapping him on the shoulder and stomping off to grab a beer. Ellen had rolled her eyes and pulled Castiel into a tight hug as she mumbled something – what exactly, Dean _still_ didn’t know – into Cas’ ear. She’d beamed at them both, then followed after her husband. _Probably to keep him from too many beers,_ Dean had thought, while fighting off an overly fond grin at the look on Cas’ face as they joined the rest of the party-goers. Cas had made it clear that he didn’t socialize often, but an hour into the celebrations, Dean had found him deep in conversation with a couple of Sam’s lawyer buddies. He hadn’t bothered asking what they were talking about as he’d unceremoniously dragged Castiel onto the makeshift dance floor that Jess had made in the middle of her shop.

Already significantly buzzed – Ana was at home with his old friend Benny and his wife, Andrea – Dean had shamelessly, and badly, danced with Castiel, much to Cas’ embarrassment. Cas had waited him out, dancing uncoordinatedly himself, and forced Dean to sit down the second he had softly proclaimed that he was ‘a lil’ dizzy’ and stuck his head in the cradle of Cas’ shoulder.

Dean grinned against a couch pillow, remembering the flush of Castiel’s features as he’d led Dean back to a table, pushing Dean’s hand away gently when the more-than-a-little-buzzed man reached for a new beer. Instead, Castiel had entwined Dean’s fingers with his own and watched the people around them. Dean had laid his head on Castiel’s shoulder contentedly, a dopey smile on his face as he watched his moose of a brother attempt to dance with his tiny wife.

A few hours later, the party wound down to a few stragglers, and Dean, significantly more sober, deemed it time to get home. He and Cas had said goodbye to everyone and were out in the parking lot before Dean realized Cas was holding the keys to the Impala in his hand. When asked, Castiel had said Dean had given them to him a couple hours before while mumbling something about ‘important’ and ‘such a good metaphor. I’m awesome.’ Cas wasn’t completely sure. Dean had shrugged, not recalling that bit in the evening – _must not have been important,_ he reasoned – and the two had gone back to Dean’s, said thanks and good night to Benny and Andrea for watching over Ana, and gone to bed. Cas still stayed in the guest room, and Dean banished himself to the couch after checking in on Anael.

Now, Dean found himself thinking about how well Castiel had gotten along with his closer family and friends. He knew that most of them were loud and had rather boisterous personalities, but they were good people.

Dean snorted in amusement. “Maybe living with Gabriel so long made him immune to it all,” he muttered to himself, burying his head further into the pillow.

A loud shriek sounded from down the hallway, making Dean launch himself off the couch and speed walk towards Anael’s room. He paused once he reached the doorway.

Inside the room, Cas was bouncing Anael lightly in his arms while he pointed out the birds sitting in the tree outside her window, talking to the little girl in a low voice still gruff from disuse. Anael clapped her hands happily and cooed at the chickadees hopping around in the low branches of the tree. Sunbeams cast softly through the window, setting a happy glow around the two. Castiel looked completely rumpled from sleep, his hair sticking out in a hundred different directions and clothing still slightly askew. Anael looked perfectly content in her wrinkled blue onesie. Dean absently observed that it was the same blue as Castiel’s eyes. He also realized, after a moment, that he’d bought that for Ana not even a week ago. _I’m such a sap,_ he told himself, shaking his head slowly in amusement.

Dean leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms, unable to keep the fond smile off his face. Castiel had been utterly fantastic these past couple months, and that wasn’t only with Anael. He consistently and accurately read Dean’s moods, which he grudgingly admitted could sometimes be erratic, and he always seemed to know what Dean needed and when he needed it. He was also wonderful with Ana and seemed to love the little girl as much as she liked him. Dean had a hard time believing the man was real sometimes. Things were generally…easy with him. Castiel untied knots in Dean’s life instead of creating them.

Dean cleared his throat casually, smile widening when Cas stiffened. Anael’s head whipped around, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her father. “Da! Da!” She waved exuberantly from over Cas’ shoulder, which was quite different from her usual morning grumpiness, Dean noted. It made him wonder how long she’d been awake.

Turning his body just enough to look reservedly at Dean, Cas said, “You, uh… the baby monitor was in the guest room?”

It took everything Dean had not to kick himself. After being so careful, it was _that_ that screwed everything up? Now Cas would know…

Dean scrubbed the back of his neck guiltily, warm thoughts forgotten for the moment. “Yeah. Um, sorry about that. I guess I didn’t think to grab it last night.”

“Before going to sleep on the couch.” Cas’ voice wasn’t accusing in any way, but Dean felt his stomach sink regardless.

“Yeah, that.”

There was a long, awkward silence, or maybe it was just awkward on Dean’s part, before Ana bat her hands on Cas’ shoulder yelling, “Da!” demandingly and pointing toward Dean. He took the opportunity to approach his daughter, holding out his hands. Cas handed the little girl over without a word, but Dean thought maybe he looked sad to see Ana go. Dean moved to the rocking chair and sat down, swaying his daughter slowly. She curled up in Dean’s arms, babbling cheerfully when Dean handed her a brightly colored teething ring.

Castiel slid down the wall tiredly, letting out a long breath of air as he did so. “Have you been sleeping there every time I stayed here?” he asked curiously.

Dean nodded, patting down some of Ana’s hair. “Yeah. I don’t…” He paused uncertainly, looking down to watch his daughter. Yes, there were few things about Dean that Cas didn’t know, either from Dean telling him himself or from him just _knowing_ , but this was something Dean still held onto as tightly as he could. He peeked through his eyelashes at Castiel.

Cas was still sitting comfortably against the wall, staring at Dean questioningly. He looked curious, not angry, and Dean felt something in him uncurl at the level of understanding that he could see underneath Castiel’s expression. He sighed heavily, setting a squirming Ana down on the floor, lips tugging up when she crawled directly for Cas.

“I don’t go in the other room anymore. After…” His breath shuddered. “After Lisa died, I got all my stuff out and shut the door.”

Castiel opened his arms for Anael when she finally made it to where he was sitting. He settled the little girl on his lap before responding carefully. “I see. Would you…” He paused uncertainly, wrinkling his eyebrows. “Would you like to discuss it?”

Dean couldn’t hold back a snort, his heart clenching despite his play at nonchalance. Cas wasn’t stupid. He knew this was a big deal. That still didn’t stop him from saying, “No, Cas, not really.”

“Okay. Would you like pancakes or waffles this morning? I can make them, while you feed Ana?”

Dean blinked at the abrupt change in subject. “You’re not going to ask me about it?” he blurted, instantly regretting his incredulous outburst. He stood, spine stiff in wait of Castiel’s response.

Cas picked himself up from the floor, lifting Anael as he did so. He tickled the little girl, making her squirm and giggle. Crossing the room, Cas planted a quick kiss on Dean’s lips, murmuring as he pulled away, “No. You’ll talk about it when you’re ready to, and that’s fine.”

Dean’s lips quirked into a smile. He grabbed Cas’ face in both hands and kissed him thoroughly before Ana started pushing at his shoulder, grousing. “Da! No! No! No!”

Castiel chuckled, backing away slightly, eyeing Ana with a mock glare. “Now, Ana, your daddy can’t kiss me?”

Anael shook her head vigorously and shouted, “No!”

Both Cas and Dean winced at the shrill tone being used so close to their ears, but Dean grabbed Cas’ hand, pulling him toward the door, saying, “You heard the little lady. No kisses before she gets her breakfast, right?”

They looked at Ana, who had returned to chewing on her toy, and smiled at her in fond exasperation. Dean snuck in one last kiss for Castiel before leading him through the house and into the kitchen.


	10. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel gets a few answers.

It only took four days for Castiel to bring up Dean’s sleeping habits, and as was Castiel’s way, he didn’t even try and beat around the bush. Dean wasn’t surprised, honestly. He knew Castiel’s curiosity would eventually overpower his resolve to not bring it up.

“Why do you sleep here,” Castiel gestured to the couch from his place on the carpet with Anael, “instead of in your bed?”

Dean’s view of Castiel was partially obscured by the kitchen counter, but he knew Castiel’s lips would be turned down in a frown. He grimaced, not really wanting to talk about this particular subject, but he knew Cas would get an answer out of him eventually anyway. “Because you’re in my bed.” He heard Cas huff.

“I gathered that. But why?”

Dean sighed heavily and put down the knife he’d been using to chop tomatoes and walked the short distance to where Castiel was sitting with Anael. He knelt down, running his fingers through his daughter’s bright red curls. “I don’t… I don’t go in my…other…room anymore.” He paused uncertainly, chewing on his lip. Castiel stared up at him, waiting patiently for Dean to continue, eyes warm and understanding.

Dean took in a deep breath, forcing himself to hold Cas’ gaze. “After Lisa died, Sam and I cleared out the room… I shut the door and haven’t opened it since.”

He looked at Castiel defiantly. So many people had tried to get him into that room saying it wasn’t healthy to block things out like that, but Dean had always adamantly refused. He should have known better than to think Cas would do the same as the others.

Instead, Castiel watched Dean with a contemplative expression for a few moments before a soft smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he nodded slowly. “I understand,” he said as he took Dean’s hand. “I do have a question though.”

Dean quirked an eyebrow, relieved at Castiel’s response. “Yeah?”

“Why don’t you sleep in your bed? And I…”

Dean rolled his eyes, cutting in. “I’m not letting you sleep on the couch, Cas.”

Eyes alight, Castiel leaned forward and brushed his lips over Dean’s cheek. Pulling back, he whispered, “I never said I would be on the couch.”

Dean’s heart stuttered. _Does he mean what I think he means?_

Cas continued, voice warm. “If you like, I can stay with you.”

Dean swallowed hard, but nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Yeah, that’d be okay with me.”

Castiel leaned forward again. “Good,” he murmured against Dean’s mouth.

They pulled apart a moment later, both men smiling. Dean glanced at Anael, who was still playing quietly with her blocks. “Watch her while I finish up dinner?”

“Of course, Dean.”

He pat Castiel’s knee as he raised himself from the floor and went back to the cutting board feeling lighter and warmer than he had in days.

 

_Bedtime almost came too quickly_ , Dean thought as he watched Anael yawn. Dinner had been a quiet affair. The pasta Dean made had been a hit with both Anael and Castiel. Then the three had played outside for a while before going inside to watch a movie – Anael’s choice, obviously – and snack on some animal crackers since Ana couldn’t have popcorn yet.

As the credits of Finding Nemo rolled, Dean sat up from his slumped position against Cas. He grabbed up Anael. “Come on, munchkin. Bedtime.”

“Cash!” was her only reply as she nearly bent over backwards in an attempt to get back to Castiel’s lap.

Dean rolled his eyes as Castiel chuckled and stood from the cushions. He reached out to take Anael from Dean, who handed the squirming toddler over gladly. “Well, she sort of learned your name,” he stated humorously, “but there’s room for improvement.”

“Better than hearing ‘no’ every time you say something,” Castiel replied, settling Ana onto his hip and rocking her gently.

“No…” Anael spoke half-heartedly and yawned again.

Dean laughed as he planted a kiss on Ana’s forehead. “Of course, now she repeats it. Come on. Let’s get her settled down.”

Castiel followed Dean down the hallway and into Anael’s room where the two managed to get her into pajamas before taking her to the bathroom to brush her newly arrived teeth. Five minutes later, Dean sat her down in the crib and covered her with a light blanket, but before either man could leave the room, Ana shot up, holding the sides of the crib to keep her stable.

“Ory! Ory!!” she yelled, suddenly awake.

Dean groaned and leaned his head against the doorframe. Cas raised an eyebrow at him.

“Story,” he explained. “She wants someone to read her a story.”

Castiel nodded, a serious expression on his face. “All right. I will read to her. You go on to bed. I shall join you soon.”

Dean visibly straightened at that, and he felt his cheeks heat up a little. “Really?” he asked.

“Of course. You made dinner, after all. A story is no trouble.”

Cas hadn’t quite got what Dean meant, but his words were answer enough. Placing a hand on Castiel’s shoulder, Dean smiled. “Thanks, Cas.” He walked back to Anael’s crib. She was still quietly demanding a story. “Hey, little girl. Cas is gonna read to you, okay?”

A bright smile graced his daughter’s face as she clapped her hands. “Cash! Ory!”

“But you gotta lay back down and cover up so he’ll read to you.” Dean couldn’t believe how quickly his daughter complied. She was laying down and under the blanket in seconds.

Castiel chuckled, coming up behind Dean with a book in his hands. He kissed Dean’s cheek. “Go on. I’ll take it from here.”

Dean sighed. “Yeah, okay. Good night, munchkin. Love you.” He leaned down and placed another kiss on Ana’s forehead before leaving the room.

Castiel watched Anael watch Dean go. She looked confused at her father’s absence and looked at Castiel curiously.

Standing to the side of the crib, Castiel opened the book he’d grabbed from Ana’s small bookshelf. It turned out to be _Busy Beavers_. Clearing his throat, Castiel started reading, “Hurry, hurry! Cut and carry. Busy beavers are at work!”

Before long, Castiel noticed that Anael was sleeping soundly. He gingerly set the book back on the shelf and left the room quietly, making sure to keep the door cracked open a little, just like Dean did, and made his way down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, I know I said I'd finish this fic soon, but life happened. I'm currently in the process of moving my cat and I out of my current apartment, and I'm transferring schools before autumn classes begin. I've been incredibly busy trying to get things arranged and taken care of while working. So sorry for the wait! But I updated, and I'm proud I managed that bit. This story is nearing its end though. Not entirely sure how, but I feel it's coming to a close. Thanks so much for taking the time to read!
> 
> Extra Disclaimer: I do not own Disney/Pixar's "Finding Nemo," nor do I own the children's book called "Busy Beavers."


	11. Moonrise and Daybreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean shares his own bed with Castiel.

Dean was lying in bed, already dozing lightly, when Castiel crept into the room, but he stirred at the rustle of fabric as Castiel removed his button up and dress pants. He turned over, staring at his boyfriend unabashedly. Smiling sleepily, he whispered, “Hey, angel. Ana go down okay?”

Castiel smiled. “She is sleeping now. I had no trouble.”

A breath of air left Dean as a laugh bubbled up in his throat. “Oh, good. I’d hate to have to get up now that I’m all comfy.”

Castiel, now down to just his dark blue boxers, simply raised an eyebrow before he went to the adjacent bathroom to brush his teeth. When he came back out, he noticed the baby monitor on the nightstand next to Dean’s head. “You were listening to me read?” he asked, confused and slightly embarrassed.

Dean blinked, trying to look innocent. It didn’t work. “I may have been.” He looked away, suddenly nervous. “I…like the sound of your voice. It’s soothing.”

It was Castiel’s turn to feel a blush light up his cheeks. Thankfully, it couldn’t be seen in the half-light of the room. “Thank you,” he stated simply.

They stared at each other for a moment more before Dean shifted awkwardly. “So… You plan on joining me? Or do you need another invitation?”

Dean couldn’t stifle the laugh that rose in his throat when Castiel jumped into action, crossing the room and inserting himself under the covers next to Dean. Dean rolled towards Castiel as he got comfortable, laying his head on Cas’ shoulder and wrapping an arm around his torso.

Hesitating for a moment, Castiel grabbed the hand that Dean had placed next to his side and stroked his thumb lightly over Dean’s knuckles, turning his head to the side and down a little to kiss the top of Dean’s head.

They laid that way for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence, before Dean spoke, voice low.

“Hey, Cas?”

“Yes, Dean?” came the drowsy reply.

Silence.

Castiel glanced down as well as he could, but he couldn’t fully see Dean’s face. “Dean?”

“Yeah, I’m here.” Dean quietly cleared his throat. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

Dean sighed, scooting closer to the warmth of Castiel’s body. When he spoke again, his voice was soft and distant. “Just…for being you. For being here. I didn’t realize how much I needed you.”

He trailed off and Castiel just buried his face in Dean’s short hair, unable to say anything to that. But he supposed Dean didn’t need him to. Dean understood.

In the next few minutes, Dean’s breathing had evened out into the slowness of sleep, leaving Castiel to lay awake for a while longer. Before long, though, the steady rise and fall of Dean’s chest against his side lulled him to sleep too.

* * *

 

Dean awoke to muted sunlight coming in from the windows and a soft touch to his brow. Without opening his eyes, he stretched languidly and proceeded to curl closer to the warmth next to him. He yawned and pressed his face deeper into the crook of Cas’ shoulder.

“Dean,” called Castiel’s sleep rough voice. “Dean, we have to get up soon. And I’ve heard Anael a couple times through the monitor. It seems she is slowly waking up as well.”

Dean groaned and tightened the arm he’d flung across Castiel’s chest, absent-mindedly playing with the light spattering of dark hair over Castiel’s heart.

“Dean, really. You’ll be rushing if you don’t move soon.”

“Don’ care,” Dean grumbled. He was _warm_ and extremely comfortable right where he was, and he had no plans to vacate his spot. There was a sharp poke against his shoulder.

“Dean. I need the bathroom. Let me go.”

Muffling a snort, Dean grunted. “Nice try, Cas. ‘Sides, I don’ see you movin’ to actually get up either.”

A mutter that Dean couldn’t make out and a heavy sigh later, and Castiel relaxed under Dean again. He smiled at his victory. “’m not movin’ till Ana starts yellin’,” he mumbled into Castiel’s shoulder. “’ve not slept so good in months. ‘m comfy.”

Castiel’s body jerked with his momentary laughter. “I would suspect that’s because you slept in an actual bed, Dean.”

Dean shook his head a little, waking up a bit more at the movement. “No, that’s not why. It’s cuz you’re here. You’re warm and safe. Makes me feel safe.”

A hand rubbed his arm soothingly, and Dean relaxed further into the mattress, but Castiel seemed to have other plans as he slowly rolled them over until he was hovering above Dean, who still hadn’t cracked an eyelid open, because he was hell-bent on keeping this warm, fuzzy feeling as long as possible.

“Dean.”

Dean felt Castiel’s palm brush lightly against his cheek before cradling his face in his hand.

“Dean, look at me, please.”

The sight of Castiel’s sparkling blue eyes was more than enough compensation for facing the daylight. And the warmth hadn’t gone away with the hazy drowsiness.

A thumb stroked over his cheekbone, just under his left eye, and Dean fought the urge to shut his eyes again and simply lean into the touch. Well, he didn’t close his eyes, anyway.

Castiel was smiling softly down at him, his gaze bright, but intense. “Dean.”

Suddenly much more awake, Dean answered, “Yeah, Cas?”

A flash of uncertainty flitted across Cas’ face, making Dean frown, before the look was gone and Castiel was leaning down and capturing Dean’s lips with his own, and, _Oh if this wasn’t worth waking up for… Morning breath aside, this is awesome._

The rest of what may have been Dean’s thought process was blown to pieces a moment later when Castiel tilted his head and delved deeper into Dean’s mouth. Dean met him enthusiastically and without reserve, wrapping his arms up and around Castiel’s neck, pulling him in.

Minutes later, Castiel pulled away, Dean chasing his lips with his own, both breathing raggedly. It took a moment for the two to register that the pleasant warmth that had enveloped them upon waking had turned into a nearly stifling heat due to their activities. Now they both felt uncomfortably hot and sticky. Castiel squirmed, grimacing, and Dean didn’t miss the other reason Cas might be uncomfortable either.

“Shower?” Castiel suggested, tilting his head in the direction of the bathroom.

Dean didn’t even pretend to think about it. “Shower.”

And if Castiel had to bite his lip from holding in laughter when Dean got tangled in the covers in his race to get out of bed, well, no one had to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Hey! Hey! I managed to get another chapter done sooner than I thought I would! Granted, it's super fluffy, and there isn't too much of a point in this one. Whatever. A chapter full of fluff! Sometimes we need 'em, and I have yet to find the courage to attempt even the lightest bit of smut. I'm sure I'll get there, but probably not with this story. Thanks for the read!


	12. Requests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel has a question.

It was a week before Dean began to feel that Cas wasn’t telling him something. They’d be having an easy conversation when he’d suddenly clam up and go quiet, and Dean would have to coax him into another topic. It was driving Dean crazy. He constantly tried to figure out what he’d done wrong. They’d only been consistently sleeping together for two weeks. Cas barely even went to his own house anymore except to get more clothing. He was integrating himself more and more into Dean’s life, but somehow it still felt like Cas was distancing himself. Was it something he had said? Something he did? A combination of the two? Or maybe it was something he _hadn’t_ done or said?

Regardless of the reasons, Dean was ready to tear his hair out in worried frustration, and the anxiety was making him twitchy. Castiel was the best thing that had happened to Dean in a long while, and Dean damn well knew it. But, true to form, Dean didn’t say anything to Cas, so he spent the next six days driving himself to complete and utter distraction.

* * *

 

Dean had ordered pizza, per Castiel’s request that Dean relax after work instead of slaving away over the heat of the stove, but he had yet to touch a single slice.

By the time Castiel knocked softly on the front door, it was nearly nine o’clock. Dean steeled himself and went to get the door, trying all the while to act normal.

On the other side of the threshold, Cas stood holding a small shopping bag in the air. “I brought pie and a bottle of wine for us!” he said, wide smile plastered on his face as he stepped inside the entryway, waving a hand towards Gabriel, who had dropped him off, as he did so. “I assume, since it’s late, you’ve already put Anael to bed?” He placed a peck on Dean’s lips in greeting and moved toward the kitchen.

Dean shut the door and followed, running a hand through his hair. “Uh, yeah. I put her down fifteen minutes ago. The Tooth Fairy – well, Charlie dressed as the Tooth Fairy – came to visit the daycare today, so she was tuckered out when I picked her up this afternoon.”

Castiel nodded, distractedly placing his bag on the counter as he lifted the lid of the pizza box and sighed. “Dean, you haven’t eaten.” He turned the dial on the oven and grabbed a pan to place the pizza on to reheat.

Dean sat on a bar stool and watched Cas piddle around.

“No,” he said. “I wasn’t hungry when I got home, but I went ahead and ordered.”

Cas hummed in acknowledgment, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

There was a long silence, which made Dean fidget, until Castiel’s head snapped up, his blue eyes burning. “Dean, I wish to speak with you about something important.”

Doing his best not to betray the sudden jump in his pulse, Dean bit at his lower lip and nodded. _Oh, this is it_ , he thought. _Cas is going to leave. He’s gonna leave, and I’m not even gonna know why. This whole night, the pizza and pie and wine, is just to soften the blow. Gabriel is probably still waiting in his car for Cas to leave. Shit, shit, shit!_ He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry and scratchy, and smiled weakly. “Sure thing, Cas. What is it?” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded strained.

Castiel stepped forward and leaned across the counter to take Dean’s trembling hands in his. “Dean,” he whispered, voice soothing. “Nothing is wrong. I give you my word. I simply wish to ask you and Anael to take residence in my own home instead of here.”

Dean blinked and let out the breath he’d been holding, hanging his head. “Oh. Is that all? God, Cas! I thought you were leaving me! Jesus… Seriously, I’ve been freakin’ out for _days_ , because I thought you were gonna leave, and I don’t think I’d handle it well if you did, and I wouldn’t even know why, and –” Dean’s tirade broke off abruptly.

Wide-eyed, he raised his head to look up at Castiel, who looked to be quickly losing his battle against an amused smile.

“You…” Dean licked his lips, watching as Castiel’s eyes automatically tracked the movement, and he walked around the bar to stand in front of Cas. “Did you just ask me to move in with you?” he asked incredulously. This was _not_ where he’d expected the evening to go.

Castiel did grin at that. “Of course, Dean! It only seemed logical. Would you like me to name off the reasons why?” He tilted his head a little to the side as he did whenever he was trying to remember things. “I actually came up with quite a few, and I think –”

He was cut off by Dean’s lips on his own, and honestly, he didn’t really mind the interruption. At least, so far, Dean’s reaction had been a positive one.

Dean pulled back after a few moments, eyes glittering. “You can tell me the reasons later.” He reached around Cas and shut the oven off. “For now, know that my answer is a resounding yes, and we’re going to bed right this second and having amazing we-are-moving-in-together sex. We’ll eat later. Got it?”

He didn’t wait for an answer as he grabbed Castiel by his tie and led him toward the bedroom. Castiel went along more than willingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another! *throws mug on ground* Wait, what do ya mean 'wrong fandom'? ...Oh. Whoops.  
> Anyway, I'm only sensing maybe one or two more chapters of this little fic, so we'll be drawing to a close shortly. Thanks so much for reading!  
> Extra Disclaimer: I do not own the Tooth Fairy. We're not even friends.


	13. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final step to a new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter! So sorry for taking so long to get it out, but it took forever for me to settle down into my new place and routine. And then, after writing, I let it sit for a few days to make sure this is how I wanted this story to end. Happy reading!

Much to Dean’s relief, a realtor in town had happily taken on the job of selling Dean’s house. She’d said it’d go fast since it was quite new, on good property, and had been taken care of. Sure enough, within two weeks, there had been seven young families interested in purchasing. A few days after that, the house was sold and Dean was packed. Anael was perpetually confused about her toys being boxed up, but she seemed to vaguely understand that she’d get them back later.

Dean took off work the Tuesday and Wednesday of that week for moving purposes. Jess kept Anael with her while Sam, Gabriel, Dean, and Castiel moved the heavy furniture.

The move had been relatively easy, despite Gabriel’s incessant complaining and Dean’s jokes about how they were technically moving Cas out of the house too. Sam had just made a face at that.

It was only when the house was completely empty, and Cas and Dean were standing in the bare living room when it actually hit Dean that he was leaving. The house had been his home for the past five years. He and Lisa had settled down there after many minor arguments about commitment and sharing their lives completely. Dean had been hesitant to take that initial plunge with her, even though he knew he had no thoughts of leaving Lisa. Leaving the house now felt…like both a much needed reprieve and a betrayal at the same time. They’d built a life there. How could he leave it? What was he doing? He didn’t _want_ to forget.

Lisa’s words ran through his mind: _Be happy._

Dean startled a bit when Cas’ warm hand slipped into his own, Cas twining their fingers together comfortably. He sighed and laid his head on Dean’s shoulder.

“Everything okay?” he asked, breaking the silence of the room.

Dean squeezed Cas’ hand gently, but didn’t respond as he stared at the dust particles floating through the beams of sunlight coming from the uncovered windows. A few quiet moments passed, and Cas took his hand back from Dean and moved in front of him. The look in his eyes when Dean met his gaze was questioning. Searching. Dean watched as Cas drew his bottom lip between his teeth and the skin around his eyes wrinkled a bit when Cas frowned mildly. He nodded minutely to himself and took a step forward, pressing his lips briefly to Dean’s forehead before pulling away. The frown had slipped from his features, leaving a small, understanding smile in its place. “I’ll be outside, okay?”

Castiel’s retreating footsteps faded with the soft click of the front door, and now, Dean stood in the empty house, alone. He shivered, feeling suddenly cold, as though Cas’ departure had stolen away any warmth left in the walls. He glanced around again at the empty spaces and corners.

He remembered the longs nights when he and Lisa would talk about anything and everything, curled together on the couch, planning the life they thought they’d have together. He thought about all the times he and Lisa had taken turns cooking and caring for Ana on evenings when one or the other had been too tired to do much else but fall into bed and sleep. He recalled all the times he had grabbed Lisa’s hands and twirled her around the room, dancing terribly, but with bright smiles on their faces. The minor carpet stain from the time Ana had spit up and Lisa hadn’t been quick enough with the burping cloth was still there. The split in the linoleum in the kitchen from where Dean had dropped a steak knife straight onto it was still there. Dean knew there was a stain on the carpet in the hallway from one of the many times Lisa had fed Anael in the night. She’d accidentally dropped the bottle in her rush.

Those things, those memories, and maybe others like it, would be repaired before the new family moved in. Any trace of their life there would be gone.

Dean breathed in deeply, only letting the air back out of his lungs when they began to burn. He blinked again at the room, now noting where Ana had taken her first steps, remembering that Cas had been the one to catch her when she’d stumbled and fell. He thought about the way Castiel had laughed merrily, head thrown back with his teeth bared in a wide smile, at one of Ana’s many failed attempts at his name. Cas had been the one to take care of Ana when she’d caught a cold in mid-May, and Dean hadn’t been able to take off work. Dean had come home to the two of them bundled up on the sofa, watching cartoons. Cas had been sick for a few days after that, as well.

A fond smile tugged at Dean’s lips. Castiel had become so deeply imbedded in Dean’s life that he hadn’t even noticed, and by the time he had, he never wanted Cas to leave anyway. He knew, despite his fears and insecurities, Lisa would be proud someone else was there. That someone else was helping him raise their daughter. That he wasn’t alone.

He needed to focus on that.

And take a step forward.

Castiel and Anael were his life now. They were the people he loved most. He was happy. He could acknowledge this fact without forgetting Lisa. He knew that, but reminding himself was difficult sometimes.

He could keep working on it.

Turning away, Dean straightened his shoulders and walked out the door of the house for the last time.

* * *

 

Outside, Castiel sat on the first step of the porch, looping a wildflower around his fingers. He perked up when he heard Dean exit the house, but he didn’t turn around. Instead, he kept his gaze toward the horizon as Dean sat down next to him, pulling him into his embrace.

They sat for a few minutes in companionable silence, staring toward the evening clouds.

The jingle of keys caught Castiel’s attention though, and he glanced in Dean’s direction, his eyes landing on the set of car keys Dean had started circling on his fingers. He met Cas’ curious gaze, lips pressed together determinedly.

Dean reached out and grabbed Castiel’s hand before placing the keys in his palm and purposely curling Cas’ fingers around the cool metal. He smiled at Castiel’s surprised expression, green eyes twinkling like he knew something Cas didn’t, but before Cas could ask, Dean stood up and stretched.

He turned, looked down at Castiel fondly for a second, and headed for the car, saying, “Let’s go home, Cas. Our little girl is waiting for us.”

Castiel’s fingers momentarily tightened on the keys in his hand, but he smiled broadly and made to follow Dean without a second thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Yay! I had a ton and a bunch of fun writing this, but I'm also very happy it's done! For those of you that followed me through the process of writing, thank you so much! Your comments and support were very encouraging and definitely helped me keep going when I felt stuck on the story. If you're new here, hello and thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the domestic, scenic route to happiness!  
> ~Aura

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and/or comments are always well loved!


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